On September 10, QS, a renowned UK-based higher education evaluation organization, released the “2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject” on its official website. The Department of Materials Science and Engineering at KAIST was ranked 21st globally in the 2024 subject-specific rankings. It is the only department at KAIST to be placed within the top 30 worldwide in its respective field.

Professor Byungha Shin has been appointed as the new chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at KAIST. His term will commence on April 23, 2024, and continue until February 28, 2029.
Professor Shin earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Seoul National University and the University of Michigan, respectively, in Materials Engineering, and received his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard University. Since joining the KAIST Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 2014, he has served as the Dean of Student Affairs and currently holds a concurrent position as Director of the Global Leadership Center.
His numerous accolades include the 2019 KAIST Top 10 Research Award, the 2020 KAIST Person of the Year Award, the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Scientist of the Month Award in 2021, and the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Top 100 Outstanding Research Achievements Award in 2021.

Professor Eunae Cho of our department has donated a total of 10 million KRW, contributing 5 million KRW each in December last year and January this year, to support the construction of MRL KAIST. Additionally, former Undergraduate Student President Changseob Lee has pledged a donation of 10.8 million KRW for the same cause.
The “MRL KAIST Construction Fund Handover Ceremony” took place on Tuesday, April 30, at 11 a.m. in the Juhul Conference Room, with around 10 attendees, including Department Chair Byungha Shin. MRL KAIST is a platform for research on AI-driven extreme materials, and is planned to be established to secure foundational technologies for extreme materials.

The 2024 First Wednesday Convergence Forum, jointly hosted by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Department of Semiconductor Systems Engineering, took place on Wednesday, May 8, in Room 101 of the Creative Learning Building (E11), under the theme “Semiconductor Evolution in 10 Years: Thinner and Taller.”
Professor Kyung Min Kim from the department of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor Kayoung Lee from the department of Semiconductor Systems Engineering each delivered 30-minute lectures, with the session lasting approximately one hour in total. The forum was attended by 35 participants on-site and 16 via Zoom, bringing the total number of attendees to 51.
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On Friday, May 10, 2024, undergraduate students from the KAIST Department of Materials Science and Engineering visited POSCO in Pohang for a field trip. The visit was led by Professor Kyung min Kim and attended by 22 undergraduate students from the department.

On Friday, May 24, 2024, the department of Materials Science and Engineering held the Spring Semester Happy Hour: Undergraduate international student meeting in the Juhul conference room. During the meeting, participants exchanged and discussed a variety of perspectives on key departmental issues, challenges related to academic life, and other concerns, providing an opportunity for open dialogue and feedback among department members.

In response to the evolving global academic landscape, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering hosted a Joint Workshop with Hokkaido University from June 19 (Wednesday) to June 22 (Saturday), 2024. This workshop aimed to strengthen collaborative ties and foster a joint research environment between the two institutions. The event was held at Hokkaido University in Japan, facilitating closer cooperation in cutting-edge research.

On the afternoon of July 6, 2024, the “2024 Department of Materials Science and Engineering Alumni General Meeting” was held at John Hanna Hall in the Academic and Cultural Complex. Following the inaugural meeting last year, this second event was attended by over 50 participants, including 38 alumni, 6 current students, and faculty members.
The event was divided into two parts: the first part consisted of the alumni general meeting, while the second part featured a dinner and networking session. The program included a report on the alumni association’s operations (presented by Secretary Myung-Il Park), an update on the department’s current status (presented by the department chair), and a special guest lecture by alumnus Sung-Ryul Maeng.

□   https://youtu.be/TpOBE3-sm7o?si=bsgwRVuX6kvhbIzQ

The KAIST Department of Materials Science and Engineering held an information session for prospective graduate students for the 2025 spring semester on Tuesday, June 18, at 4:00 p.m. in the Multimedia Lecture Room of the Applied Engineering Building (W1-3, 1st floor). The admissions session, led by the admissions officer, included an introduction to the department and its research areas, followed by a Q&A session. Students participated both in person and via Zoom.

The 5th KAIST Emerging Materials Symposium was held at Fusion Hall of KI Building on July 1-2, 2024.

On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, a meeting was held at noon in the Juhul conference room between Department Chair Byungha Shin and research fund administrators. A total of 11 research fund administrators attended the meeting, providing an opportunity for open discussion and collaboration.

On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at 4:00 p.m., Professor Hyuck Mo Lee’s “Retirement Commemorative Lecture and Retirement Ceremony” was held in the Multimedia Lecture Room on the 1st floor of the Applied Engineering Building. The event marked Professor Lee’s distinguished career and celebrated his retirement.

Prof. Sung Hoon Kang has joined the faculty as an associate professor from August 1, 2024. He majored in bioinspired materials, architected materials, and 3D printing.

Prof. Jieun Kim has joined the faculty as an assistant professor from August 12, 2024. He majored in hybrid epitaxial thin film growth, quantum materials, and functional oxide materials.

Kyung Chul Cho started to work as a staff member in Dept. MSE from August 1, 2024. He managed financial affairs of the department.

- Prof. Jonghwa Shin was promoted to Professor. (2024.09.01.)
- Prof. Jihun Oh was promoted to Professor. (2024.09.01.)
- Prof. Himchan Cho was promoted to Associate Professor. (2024.09.01.)
- Prof. Kibum Kang has been granted Tenure. (2024.09.01.)
- Prof. Hyuck Mo Lee was appointed as an Emeritus professor. (2024.09.01.)
- Prof. Byeong-Soo Bae was appointed as a “Jeong-nyeon-hu” professor. (27.09.01.)